Hundreds in battle to stop West Bromwich car park sell-off

Access Alliance, a disabled group, has gathered a petition against Sandwell Council's proposals to sell of the Queens Square car park until more provision is made for people with mobility impairments in the town.

The only other facility they can use is the Tesco car park on the other side of town but that has a four-hour limit and the group says this is not sufficient if they need to cross to different shops on the opposite side of the town.

Allan Jones, who is the chairman of Access Alliance and was the chair of the former Sandwell Access Group, said more than 300 people had signed the petition, which was handed in yesterday. He said other people who signed it were traders working at the indoor markets and Kings Square shopping centres, who he said claim fewer shoppers are visiting since the new Tesco Extra superstore opened.

Mr Jones, who uses elbow crutches and a mobility scooter to get around, said many of the signatories were disabled as well.

The 76-year-old, who has been registered disabled since he was 58, said: "It's quite crucial we have this car park because there's no other place to park to get across to the Kings Square shopping centre other than the Tesco car park.

"There's a four-hour limit there and I've queried this with the council and been told that this was agreed as part of the planning for the store.

"I think disabled people are at a disadvantage because it's a long way between the Tesco car park and Kings Square. Some traders have signed it because they told me they are losing out on business because too few people are going there. At one time you couldn't get around there because it was so popular."

Proposals are for the multi-storey Queens Square car park to be bulldozed to make way for the attraction, which could create at least 100 jobs. The council is in talks with national ice rink firm, Planet Ice Property Leisure, which runs The Leisurebox in Birmingham, but no deal has yet been finalised.

If the deal were to be signed, the demolition of the car park would start in spring next year and development of the ice rink would begin in the autumn. Developers hope the building would be open by the end of 2015. It is also hoped that the ice rink would boost the wider economy as those visiting it would also visit other restaurants, bars and other venues.

The car park was built in the early 1970s and is said to be in need of significant investment.